After sunset sky over Muirends, on the Black Isle.

It was a lovely sunny day, and yet again I left it to the last of the daylight before heading out with a camera. Was thinking that I still hadn't heard any Whitethroats or Wood Warblers yet, whereupon a Whitethroat started calling. Next I thought I heard the very distant call of a Cuckoo, a bird that is fairly common in some parts of the nearby Highlands, but there are only a few on the Black Isle.

Walked on in the rough direction the call had come from, but only heard some Collared Doves, so presumed it was just them, and that I'd been mistaken. A few minutes later and a Cuckoo did start calling. Still very distant, but this time it was clear enough not to be mistaken for anything else. First time I've heard one within a mile from home.

It was fairly dark when I returned to the village. Ahead, a creature ran out on to the road, and I stopped in my tracks. Too big for a cat that one. Oh, and a big fluffy tail. The fox paused for a few seconds, and then ran in the middle of the road towards me, before veering off into a field through an open gateway. The road where it had been has streetlights, but it wasn't close enough to make out its colouring, or markings.

Plenty small bats about.